Initiative for boosting sustainable development via digital sci-tech unveiled at forum

At a parallel forum of the 2025 Zhongguancun Forum, which is also part of UNESCO's "International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development (2024-2033)," hundreds of experts from home and abroad discussed how digital technology can empower the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Guo Huadong, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Science and director of the International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals, unveiled the Beijing Initiative on Digital Science and Technology for Sustainable Development at the International Forum on Sciences for Sustainable Development held on Thursday.

The initiative outlines key objectives, including promoting innovative applications of digital sci-tech in sustainable development and expanding the use of big data, artificial intelligence, space technology, and the Internet of Things to address challenges — such as biodiversity conservation, climate change, disaster risk reduction, and poverty alleviation.

"The initiative emphasizes the development of digital tools to optimize energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions, and enhance natural resource management capabilities," Guo said.

The initiative also proposes building global platforms for sharing digital resources and technologies, strengthening the role of digital tools in policy formulation, and promoting public engagement and education concerning sustainability through digital means, he said.

Guo added that SDGSAT-1, the world's first science satellite designed for the 2030 Agenda and launched by China, has provided over 420,000 scenes of data to 104 countries globally and has played a crucial role in areas such as urban heat island effect monitoring and carbon emission assessment.